Thale and Live were also speaking directly to him, yet he still couldn’t hear a word they were saying.

Right there, the Celtic manager understood and felt the real pain of defeat.

But Deila insists the memory hasn’t sickened him.

Instead, it has merely heightened his determination to get it right and give him the opportunity to hear words of praise from supporters and the stories of his daughters.

Deila gave an insight into the strains of the job as he described the immediate situation after the League Cup semi-final loss to Ross County 12 days ago which started a dismal spell for him and his team.

His girls were over to visit him from Norway but afterwards Deila wasn’t really there.

Scott Brown is backing Ronny Deila (Image: SNS Group)

In body yes, but not in mind.

Raking over the defeat in his head, Deila wasn’t able to absorb anything other than the agony of the setback.

He said: “My kids said a good thing to me. When we lost the semi-final to Ross County they were here.

“It wasn’t easy to try to look at them after that game. Then they said to me, ‘We know how it is Daddy. We talk together but you don’t listen’.

“That’s what it is like when you come home from a loss.

“You are thinking and you are not actually there.

“You feel the pain twice but that’s how it is and that is what I have chosen.

“I chose this life. I’ve done it for 20 years. It’s hell or heaven all of the time. That’s how football is.

“That’s why I have to try to deal with it. But it you don’t feel pain or happiness then I think I would be very bored.”

Deila uses family and friends to cope with the disappointments, as well as savour the good times.

And he says the times he can spend seeing and talking to trusted confidants about things other than the job holds the key to him staying on a level footing through these periods of heightened scrutiny.

Deila added: “I haven’t been in Norway for one and a half years but I have always also had friends who I talk with away from work.

“I have to admit I would rather hear them tell a funny story than talk about 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 with my friends.

Celtic manager Ronny Deila

“They understand that I don’t want advice. The people who solve those issues are here. Not outside the club.

“A lot of my friends are in football in some way, although not professionally.

“Or other sports. They have families and normal work like everyone else.

“They understand they don’t know what is going on over here when I talk with them.

“They just listen to me but don’t give advice.

“It’s important to have things to give you energy so you can switch off because you can’t be there 100 per cent of the time. You would get so tired if you did that.”

It is, however, his players and his board who give him the biggest source of strength.

Looking at a squad and a chief executive who care just as much as he does provides the drive to keep hunting success and silverware.

Deila said: “I have people here I can speak to. Peter Lawwell and my team. And the players. That is the most important thing.

“I think you can see things in the squad now. You can see in training that everyone is very switched on and knows what we are playing for.

“Sometimes when you are a coach or a leader you think it is only yourself who cares. But I can assure you that the players are feeling the same as me. That is a good thing.

“Now we are very concrete in what we need to do to get good performances and results. That is the main thing.

“Are the players angry? I think they are calm. Anger is not the thing.

“You have to sit down, talk together and find solutions. That is what we have been doing.

Dejection for Celtic Manager Ronny Deila (Image: SNS Group)

“Two weeks ago we were very positive and the team were playing very well.

“We have also had spots in the games we have lost that were good, so we have to take those positive things and try to do better in other areas. We now have 95 per cent of the players injury-free.

“There are important players like Charlie Mulgrew, Scott Brown and Kris Commons back, so you can see there is competition in the team and intensity in training.

“The focus is there. There is also a good atmosphere and that’s a positive thing.

“Without having some fun, everything is grey, dark and difficult and it is hard to see light.

“We are believing in what we are doing and looking forward. It’s not the day after a defeat as it takes a bit of time to get going again.

“But in football, as in life, you can’t dwell too much on what has happened.

“You have to go on and bounce back again. That is very important and we have done it 100 times before.

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“That’s what we want to do on Saturday again.

“The hardest part in life is when you don’t know what the answer is. But when you know the way forward you can do that.

“For me, it takes 48 hours to get the disappointment and reflection out of the body. I know exactly where we want to go.

“The most important thing is to do all the same things you have done before, but it’s small details.

“Get an individual player to perform better, or get two players to play better together.

“Also look in training and see who has the mental and physical awareness to play games now and pick the right team.

“It’s been intense, but to get out of this situation you must stay calm and keep believing in what you do.